Ireland tour to Argentina: The countdown to the selection of a 30-man squad for the World Cup begins in earnest this week in Argentina.

With 15 frontliners already enjoying their four-week summer holidays, all bar five of the next 30 in line for RWC '07 in France arrived in Buenos Aires yesterday for a two-Test tour which will be akin to a reality TV show. In effect, around 15 of them will be voted out. It will be that brutal, but it has to be.

Eddie O'Sullivan has broadly hinted that, barring mishaps, the absent 15 effectively have both feet on the plane to France at the beginning of September, but has informed the remainder that even members of the Six Nations' squad ought not to presume they have one foot on the same plane.

The expectation must still be that the likes of Simon Best, captain on this tour, Jerry Flannery, Frankie Sheahan, Malcolm O'Kelly, Neil Best, Isaac Boss, Eoin Reddan, Paddy Wallace and Geordan Murphy will make the 30-man cut for France, but they need to underline their credentials in the next fortnight. Theoretically, that might still leave up to half a dozen places up for grabs.

The cut-off point has been sharpened by the obligation to name the 30-man World Cup squad between the warm-up games against Scotland and Italy in August. "The big thing about this tour is Rugby World Cup spots. The lads here have been made aware that, because of the truncated lead-in to the World Cup, we only have one warm-up game before we name the squad (for RWC) so this tour is going to have a big say on who's who and what's what."

The two most competitive areas of selection are, as ever, the backrow, and the outside backs. O'Sullivan admitted as much after arrival here yesterday morning following their 11-hour British Airways flight from London to Sao Paulo, and two-hour connection to the Argentinian capital.

"Certainly it's going to be very difficult to separate the backrows again," admitted O'Sullivan, "and the back five in general, so that's probably an area that could drag on into the first warm-up game."

Presuming it's a 17-13 split between forwards and backs, and O'Sullivan names five props and three hookers, that could leave the half-dozen backrowers here competing for two spots. O'Sullivan intends playing all six of them here with Stephen Ferris, whom he admires hugely, a possibility at number eight in one of the Tests. There should be a battle royal between Keith Gleeson and Shane Jennings at openside, with Ferris, Neil Best, Alan Quinlan and Jamie Heaslip conceivably fighting over one or at most two places.

O'Sullivan is also maintaining an interested brief in events at the Churchill Cup and, to add to the backrow conundrum, specifically mentioned the performances of Johnny O'Connor and Roger Wilson.

Likewise, in addition to Murphy, the other eight centres cum outside backs out here could be fighting over three places, and O'Sullivan admitted it will be difficult giving all of them a run, although he repeated that he is keen on giving rugby league convert Brian Carney aouting.

Contrary to one report, O'Sullivan was airborne when the Irish A side launched their campaign with a highly creditable 39-20 win over Canada in Exeter on Saturday and therefore was not in attendance, nor did he see the game. Despite a reportedly starring role in that win, O'Sullivan played down the notion that Jeremy Staunton might be called up for the second Test here.

Hence, Geordan Murphy is likely to be the only player from the quintet of Irish players involved in the Heineken European Cup final to be considered for the first Test in Sante Fe next Saturday, albeit most probably on the bench as cover for Paddy Wallace at outhalf. Apart from a minor hand injury to Eoin Reddan, all five emerged unscathed.

"We've had the luxury of having the squad for a week now and will probably select the team from the players based in Limerick. To be fair to the guys coming in late, they'll get their opportunity the following week," said O'Sullivan.

Yesterday's opening run-out was a "bit of a puck-around", ie a game of soccer and Gaelic football. "I think we're okay in terms of jet lag because we were able to get a good sleep on the long haul part of the flight. It's just about staying up until 10 or 11 tonight, which would be 3am at home."

The skies over Buenos Aires have been a clear blue over the weekend, with temperatures reaching 20 degrees, and if these conditions hold for two 4.10pm kick-offs (8.10pm Irish-time), O'Sullivan agreed it will make both Tests more valid testing grounds for the World Cup in France come early autumn.